26 Love Stories

KARL JOHNSON: "We left the party for a smaller place where we could talk with our friends. That’s where I told Josh that I loved him and how much he means to me. At that moment, I saw one of my favorite Josh traits: the biggest and most triumphant smile grew on his face. I knew at that moment, no matter what fate awaited us back on base, we were OK."

JOSH SEEFRIED: "I couldn’t move; I couldn’t talk. I felt like I was dying. It was awful. What was awful, too, was that I had to go back to work and I thought, It’s going to look like I’m skipping work. Then I realized it was the first time my commander had to interact with my boyfriend. I didn’t have time to think about it. I remember being drugged up and Karl telling my commander he was my boyfriend. It was weird to hear that. That’s when DADT repeal became real for me."

T COOPER: "Having legally -- meaning man-and-woman -- married Allison in the presence of Elvis and the videographer who served as our witness (God was busy), I have been exercising the shit out of my heterosexual privilege. And I love it. I love not being gay! I’m totally “normal,” and every stranger I encounter thinks I’m normal, too (if a little short)."

MACNEAL: "Everyone tells us we look alike. We have beards, big noses, and short hair. I’ve never dated anyone like him, taller and older, who has the same style and likes the same things. I’m 26, and he’s 38. We’re going to get married. We’re going to do the legal stuff soon and then have the celebration next year. We did the next step -- last week we got tattoos! He got an M, and I got a D. We are branded forever."

COLT: "The heterosexual view of being faithful is so outdated. We don’t have to have sex only with each other to be faithful. I’m completely faithful to him, emotionally and with my heart. I can still get gang-banged and want to go back home to him."

DAVIS: "He was the best dinner guest I’d ever had, and we were eating on the covered porch by candlelight. Then he told me that he’d been thinking of me every day, and I thought, This guy is either a stalker or he just really likes me, and I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt. We went inside, and he asked if he could kiss me, and that was it."

ED FILIPOWSKI: "Even though, professionally, we’re very similar, our relationship is based on what we enjoy together outside of work. Yes, we are -- for lack of a better phrase -- a “fashion couple,” but it’s not what defines us."

DENIS O'HARE: "We got married because we wanted to do it quickly for fear that they would take it away again, like they did in California. Getting married was a political act because so many people fought so hard for it. Also, every time I say the word “husband” and somebody flinches, I am helping to teach society this is the way it will be. This is the way it is."

ROCCO KAYIATOS: "There’s always turmoil in romantic relationships. And in terms of fulfilling my needs, this is the most authentic, adult relationship I’ve ever had. It makes me think differently about relationships because we create this hierarchy about what’s the most important relationship. I know that romantic relationships don’t last, and this one seems enduring."

Read the full story of how Neil Patrick Harris & David Burtka fell in love, "When Stars Collide."

BJORN AMELAN & BILL T. JONES

Photograph by Martien Mulder

BILL T. JONES: "Falling in love is different when you’re in your forties than when you’re in your late teens or twenties. First of all, everything at that time has a big hard-on connected with it. Sex! But also, it was like impulse, and appetite. When you’ve had a relationship of 18 years, and that person is over and you’re starting another one, you’re aware of something happening. Oh, what is this? Why do I feel constantly giddy? Oh, this is what they mean by falling in love."

NEIL PATRICK HARRIS: "I initially fell for David harder than he fell for me. I was in love with him before he was comfortable saying it, and I think that speaks to our past experiences. I remember saying, “I think I love you,” and he was like, “That’s really nice,” which is not necessarily what you want to hear. But I appreciated his honesty in not jumping the gun and saying something because he felt obliged to."

Read the full story of how Neil Patrick Harris & David Burtka fell in love, "When Stars Collide."

NEIL PATRICK HARRIS & DAVID BURTKA

DAVID BURTKA: "Even on that first date, we talked about kids. If he hadn't wanted kids, I don't think we'd be together. I always thought that family was the most important thing in life, and no matter what I do, whether being a chef or an actor or a dancer, being a dad is what I do best."

Read the full story of how Neil Patrick Harris & David Burtka fell in love, "When Stars Collide"

NEIL PATRICK HARRIS & DAVID BURTKA

DAVID BURTKA: "I don’t want people to think we’re a perfect couple. Nothing’s perfect. A relationship is work and it changes. And you go with the changes. It’s more good times than bad times, but it’s not always good. You have to overcome those issues and move on. We have a really great recipe for a wonderful relationship, but we don’t want to be the poster boys for gay relationships. We’re not trying to pretend that we are perfect. We’re just trying -- in a good, positive, loving way -- to live our lives."Read the full story of how Neil Patrick Harris & David Burtka fell in love, "When Stars Collide"

MICKALENE THOMAS & CARMEN MCLEOD

Photograph by Martien Mulder

CARMEN MCLEOD: Mickey’s actually the first woman I dated. I had just started the second year of my M.F.A. in painting in Virginia. I think maybe a week and a half after we first spent time together, she called and said, “How about I come down to see you this weekend?” like she was just coming the next city over, not hopping on a plane. That’s how it went. It was a series of questions, and I kept saying, “Yes.”

JASON WU: It’s good to have someone that is real and honest. Sometimes you don’t see who you are after a long time, especially if you’re busy and working toward something. It’s nice to have someone who’s a mirror. You may not always like what you see, but it’s true."